Health Insurance
When school is out, training and networking is in for the thousands of school nutrition professionals who will attend this year"s Annual National Conference of the School Nutrition Association in Las Vegas, Nevada. With the challenge of rising food and labor costs, increased demand for school meals, the legislative push for national nutrition standards through Child Nutrition Reauthorization, and the ongoing efforts to address childhood overweight, this year"s conference promises to be where the action is. Learn more about all the hot topics June 29 - July 3, 2009, in Las Vegas for SNA"s 63nd Annual National Conference (ANC.) The conference includes over 80 accredited educational breakout sessions and the largest exhibit hall in school nutrition, featuring more than 760 booths packed with healthful foods, beverages and ingredients, services, equipment and technology. ANC 2009 will be held at the Mandalay Bay in Vegas.
Few people changed their behaviour in the early stages of the swine flu outbreak, finds a study published on bmj.com. But the results do support efforts to inform the public about specific actions that can reduce the risks from swine flu and to communicate about the government"s plans and res.
Middle-aged people living alone have twice the risk of developing dementia and Alzheimer"s disease in later life compared with married or cohabiting people, while being widowed or divorced in mid-life carries three times the risk, according to a study led by Miia Kivipelto from the Swedish medical university Karolinska Institutet and published on http://www.bmj.com.
A team from MIT and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has found a genetic explanation for why the new H1N1 "swine flu" virus has spread from person to person less effectively than other flu viruses.
Genentech, Inc. announced that the Phase III study BRAVO showed Lucentis® (ranibizumab injection) improved vision, as measured by the primary endpoint of mean change from baseline in best-corrected visual acuity at six months, in patients with macular edema due to branch retinal vein occlusion. The safety profile of Lucentis was consistent with previous experience and no new adverse events related to Lucentis were observed in the study. Retinal vein occlusion (RVO) is a common cause of vision loss that occurs when blood flow through a retinal vein becomes blocked, such as by a blood clot.
UCSF researchers have identified a new "feed-forward" pathway linking estrogen receptors in the membrane of the uterus to a process that increases local estrogen levels and promotes cell growth.
Medical students will be urged to look beyond our shores, as the Australian Medical Students" Association (AMSA) Global Health Conference explores the health issues and challenges facing developing countries.
BRITAIN"S top diabetes specialists added their weight to calls for European drug regulatory bodies to launch an urgent investigation into the popular insulin treatment glargine (Lantus). The move by the Association of British Clinical Diabetologists (ABCD) follows this week"s publication of four studies, which raise possible concern about an increased risk of the development of cancer in people who use this long-acting insulin therapy.
Shire plc (LSE: SHP, NASDAQ: SHPGY), the global specialty biopharmaceutical company, has announced that it will present key scientific data on its Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) treatments lisdexamfetamine dimesylate (CII) and investigational non-scheduled guanfacine extended release, at a national scientific meeting of psychiatrists being held May 16 -21 in San Francisco, CA.
The Scottish Government has launched Better Diabetes Care - a consultation to improve diabetes care over the next three years - and Diabetes UK Scotland is encouraging everyone affected by diabetes to take part.
Resuming sexual activity is expressed by patients as extremely important after a myocar÷dial infarction (MI). In spite of this, sex counselling is an area of nursing practice that is frequently neglected and needs more evidence-based knowledge.
Bausch & Lomb Vision Care announces a renewed focus on its ReNu® brand of lens care solutions through a U.S. consumer need-based rebranding effort that introduces eye care practitioners and consumers to ReNu® Fresh Lens Comfort™ and ReNu® Sensitive Eyes®. Additionally, the company has recently established a dedicated U.S. lens care solution and eye care product sales force that is primarily responsible for engaging with eye care practitioners and keeping them updated on the benefits of Bausch & Lomb products for their patients and their practice.
Lars Jansen"s work on the formation of the centromere, a key cellular structure in powering and controlling chromosome segregation and accurate cell division, has just earned him a paper in Nature Cell Biology and a prestigious EMBO installation grant, of 50,000 euro per year, for a maximum of five years.
New research from the US and Japan showed that giving the caffeine equivalent of five cups of coffee a day to aged mice with symptoms of
New strategies to reduce maternal death in Bangladesh will be presented at the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) South Asia Day. The conference gathers together a group of international experts to discuss ways to achieve Millennium Development Goals 4 (reduce child mortality) and 5 (improve maternal health).
A survey of UK adults found that nearly two thirds are risking their health by not doing enough exercise and putting themselves at greater risk of
The Victorian hospital system coped well in the wake of the Black Saturday bushfires of February 2009 but new research, published in the Medical Journal of Australia, suggests the lessons learned over this time must be used to further strengthen the State"s prevention and medical response systems.
Wake Forest University scientists have developed a new research tool in the pursuit of heart medications based on the compound nitroxyl by identifying unique chemical markers for its presence in biological systems.
Alcon, Inc. (NYSE: ACL) and its partner, NovaBay Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NYSE-AMEX: NBY), announced that Alcon has begun treating patients in a Phase 2 clinical trial of NovaBay"s patented lead Aganocide® compound, NVC-422, for viral conjunctivitis, a type of "pink eye." Conjunctivitis is a pervasive and painful condition that affects both adults and children, leading to more than four million doctor and emergency room visits in the United States each year.
To meet the growing needs of its high-volume emergency department (ED), Huntington Memorial Hospital has acquired Toshiba"s Aquilion® ONE dynamic volume CT system.
The global economic downturn has "reversed a 20-year decline in world poverty" and could "add up to 90 million to the ranks of the hungry in 2009, an increase of six percent over current totals," according to a U.N. report on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon launched in Geneva on Monday, Reuters reports (Evans, 7/6).
Parkison"s Disease Drugs Could Treat MDR-TB, XDR-TB
A recent directive to streamline the HIV testing consent process in Massachusetts as well as consent forms "no longer hav[ing] to accompany test specimens to the lab," are bringing "the state closer to a CDC recommendation that clinicians provide HIV screening on an opt-out basis," according to a Boston Globe editorial. "The opt-out provision is at the heart" of legislation sponsored by state Sen. Patricia Jehlen (D) that would end the state"s requirement of written consent for HIV testing "and instead have healthcare providers inform patients verbally that the test is planned but that they can decline it," the editorial states, adding, "The Jehlen bill would help destigmatize HIV testing itself" (7/6).
Unisense FertiliTech A/S announces that the EmbryoScope(TM) Embryo Monitoring System and EmbryoSlide(TM) tray have received CE approval as class IIa medical devices for use in IVF. Unisense Fertilitech A/S also received the DS/EN ISO13485:2003 and AC:2007 quality system certificate for production, installation and servicing of IVF incubators and related accessories.
Scientists at deCODE genetics (Nasdaq: DCGN) and academic colleagues from Europe and the United States today present in the journal Nature Genetics the discovery of common genetic risk factors for basal cell carcinoma (BCC) that affect people with fair and dark complexions alike. deCODE had previously discovered five common single-letter variants in the sequence of the human genome (SNPs) linked to risk of BCC, the most common cancer in people of European descent. However, most of these earlier findings were also correlated with fair skin, well known to accompany vulnerability to the damaging effects of ultraviolet radiation in sunlight.
Patients with atrial fibrillation, common in those with advanced chronic heart failure, have an increased risk of hospitalization due to heart failure, according to new research from researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). The findings, published in June in the European Heart Journal, also suggest that atrial fibrillation is not associated with an increased risk of death in heart failure patients, contradicting previous assumptions.
For the first time, families of murder victims have joined with families of persons with mental illness who have been executed to speak out against the death penalty.
The hospital industry is close to agreeing to cut $150 billion to $170 billion over the next decade as part of a deal with the White House and congressional democrats to help pay for health care reform. While not final, the deal could be announced within days.
As the temperatures rise, so do trips to pediatric emergency rooms. Severe cuts, broken bones and head injuries are the most common causes for trips to the emergency room during the summer, says Tony Scalzo, M.D., professor of pediatric emergency medicine at Saint Louis University School of Medicine.
The Montana ProLife Coalition last week launched a campaign seeking a state ballot initiative that would propose defining "personhood" in the state constitution as "from the beginning of the biological development of that human being," the Great Falls Tribune reports. A required 48,674 signatures are needed to place the initiative on the November 2010 ballot. Abortion-rights opponents failed to collect enough signatures for a similar proposal last year. Former state Rep. Rick Jore, a member of the Constitution Party, on Wednesday submitted three versions of the proposal to the Montana Secretary of State"s Office. Jore also authored last year"s proposal.Allyson Hagen, executive director for NARAL Pro-Choice Montana, said, "Whether or not they get it on the ballot, I think that the vast majority of Montanans are going to oppose an extreme initiative like this one." She added, "I think Montanans believe very strongly in the right to privacy and [that] the decisions regarding pregnancy should be between a woman and her doctor, not with the Legislature or the government."Abortion-rights opponents last year tried and failed to put similar proposals before voters in Georgia and Oregon, and Colorado voters rejected a similar measure by a 3 to 1 margin. Hagen said that because the president supports abortion rights and Democrats have a majority in Congress, "antiabortion groups are looking to make movements in the states, feeling powerless at the federal level." Earlier this year, two bills (SB 406, SB 46) in the Montana Legislature that sought to grant constitutional rights to embryos failed to make it out of committee. The North Dakota Legislature recently rejected a similar proposal (Adams, Great Falls Tribune, 7/2).
From his jail cell, Scott Roeder, the man charged in the murder of abortion provider George Tiller, has been sending inflammatory pamphlets calling such killings justifiable and corresponding with radical antiabortion-rights groups, the AP/Boston Globe reports. The pamphlets call Paul Hill, who was convicted of murdering abortion provider John Bayard Britton and his bodyguard in 1994, an "American hero" and quotes some of Hill"s writing about how murdering abortion providers is acceptable. Roeder obtained the pamphlets from the antiabortion-rights group Army of God. Roeder also has been corresponding with the Rev. Donald Spitz, founder of Army of God, and antiabortion-rights advocate Linda Wolfe, who has been jailed about 50 times for antiabortion activities and is a close friend of the woman convicted of shooting Tiller in the arms in 1993. The AP/Globe reports that the FBI and Department of Justice declined to comment on whether they are concerned about Roeder"s mailings. Last month, Roeder in an interview said that there are "many other similar events planned around the country as long as abortion remains legal." Roeder has not been accused of breaking any laws because of the correspondence (AP/Boston Globe, 7/4).
A new laser technique that could lead to bone disorders being diagnosed earlier is to be tested in a hospital for the first time. The study, which it"s hoped will pave the way for future clinical trials, will apply a revolutionary approach known as SORS (Spatially Offset Raman Spectroscopy), to examine specific substances in non see-through surfaces deeper than has previously been possible, without damaging the surface. The research team hope ultimately that the method can be used both to detect and screen for early signs of diseases such as osteoarthritis and osteoporosis.
A new 12 month hormone therapy treatment is launched for men with advanced prostate cancer. The Vantas® (histrelin) implant is a small and flexible device, made from the same materials as soft contact lenses. Vantas® is the first 12 month implant to treat prostate cancer to be available in the UK.1
A new treatment for Type 2 diabetes has hit the headlines today. Liraglutide (Victoza), a once-daily injectable treatment for Type 2 diabetes, is pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk"s latest brain child.
The Genome Analysis Centre (TGAC) will further the UK"s capacity in genomics - the science of understanding the genetic makeup of organisms and the genetic differences that exist between individuals. This knowledge can then be used for developments that include the production of new antibiotics to fight "superbugs", breeding of new crops with increased tolerance of drought, and the breeding of livestock better able to resist emerging exotic disease. TGAC will underpin these advances as well as making a significant contribution to economic development.
Downing between eight and 14 units of alcohol a week boosts the total number of days spent in hospital, finds research published ahead of print in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.
The final analysis of the PATRICIA study shows that the HPV-16/18 AS04-adjuvanted vaccine (GlaxoSmithKline) has high efficacy against the precancerous cervical lesions that can eventually lead to cervical cancer. The vaccine also shows cross-protective efficacy against other oncogenic (cancer-causing) HPV types closely related to HPV-16/18. Furthermore, it also shows efficacy in the cohorts relevant to universal mass vaccination and catch-up programmes. The findings are reported in an Article Online First and in an upcoming edition of The Lancet, written by Dr Jorma Paavonen, University of Helsinki, Finland, and colleagues.
A family history of depression, anxiety, alcohol dependence or drug dependence is associated with the presence of each condition and also may predict its course and prognosis, according to a report in the July issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
A common blood test for triglycerides - a well-known cardiovascular disease risk factor - may also for the first time allow doctors to predict which patients with diabetes are more likely to develop the serious, common complication of neuropathy.
An online insomnia intervention based on established face-to-face cognitive behavioral therapy techniques appears to improve patients" sleep, according to a report in the July issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
Kineta, Inc. of Seattle and Airmid Incorporated of Redwood City, CA jointly announce an agreement in which a Kineta subsidiary has acquired exclusive commercial rights to a portfolio of novel therapeutic compounds from Airmid. The array of compounds holds extraordinary potential for the treatment of multiple sclerosis, type 1 diabetes mellitus and numerous other autoimmune diseases.
We"ve all been asked at routine visits to the doctor to record our family"s history with medical problems like cancer, diabetes or heart disease. But when it comes to mental disorders, usually mum"s the word.
A test that measures oxygen levels in newborns can detect "critical" congenital heart disease, but there are variables involved with the test that require more study before it is adopted for universal newborn screening, according to a new joint statement from the American Heart Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics.
An electronic system with personalized patient information shared by diabetes patients and their primary care providers improved diabetes care and clinical outcomes, found a new study in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal) .
Covidien (NYSE: COV), a leading global provider of healthcare products, announced that Health Canada has approved the Company"s Abbreviated New Drug Submission (ANDS) for its Kit for the Preparation of Technetium Tc 99m Sestamibi Injection. Covidien"s generic product is fully substitutable for Cardiolite®, a myocardial perfusion imaging agent used for detecting coronary artery disease.
Researchers from Brown University and other institutions have developed a computational computer model of how brain tumors grow and evolve.
ERT (Nasdaq: ERES), a leading provider of centralized ECG, ePRO, eClinical technology and other services to the biopharmaceutical, medical device and related industries, announced today the launch of a unique online web interface - My Study Portal(TM). Following the successful launch of ERT"s new website, My Study Portal is aimed at enhancing the accuracy and efficiency of cardiac safety data management in clinical trials.
The IFPMA has just published the 2009 edition of its Status Report on Pharmaceutical Industry R&D for Diseases of the Developing World(1). This documents research and development projects by IFPMA member companies(2), alone or with partners, to develop medicines and vaccines for the 10 diseases of the developing world (DDW)(3) prioritized by the United Nations" TDR tropical disease research and training organization(4). Member company DDW medicine and vaccine projects have increased from 67 last year to a total of 84 this year. While the number of tuberculosis and malaria projects has grown slightly, projects for the remaining eight tropical diseases have increased markedly from 11 in 2008 to 25 in 2009.
Using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), radiologists may be able to diagnose deep endometriosis and accurately locate lesions prior to surgery, according to a new study published in the online edition of Radiology.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the American Diabetes Association next month plan to launch a joint campaign designed to raise awareness about pregnancy-related risks from diabetes, USA Today reports. An increasing number of women are either beginning pregnancies with existing Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes -- known as pre-gestational diabetes -- or developing gestational diabetes, according to Sue Kirkman, vice president of clinical affairs for ADA. Kirkman said that diabetes increases the risk for miscarriage, delivery complications, maternal health problems and birth defects. However, these risks can be reduced through preconception counseling, controlling blood sugar and maintaining a healthy weight, she said. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, almost five of every 1,000 women ages 18 to 44 have diabetes. The majority of these women have Type 2 diabetes, which is linked to obesity, USA Today reports. Denise Charron-Prochownik, an associate professor of health promotion at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center School of Nursing and Graduate School of Public Health, said that pre-conception education for women with existing diabetes should begin as early as age 13 but that "it"s not happening."Helain Landy, chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Georgetown University Hospital, said that gestational diabetes occurs in about 4% of pregnant women. Landy said, "From an epidemiological standpoint, that is a lot." Florence Brown, co-director of the Joslin Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center"s Diabetes and Pregnancy Program, said that many women with gestational diabetes are unaware that they are more likely to develop cardiovascular disease later in life and have children who develop diabetes (Brophy Marcus, USA Today, 7/6).
The resumption of fighting in Mogadishu, Somalia"s capital, has forced the majority of people living in the Yaqshid, Karan, and Abdul Azziz districts in the north of the city to flee, according to the international medical humanitarian organization Doctors Without Borders/Mçİdecins Sans Frontiç¨res (MSF). Continuous shelling, explosions, and open combat among various armed groups have claimed the lives of dozens of civilians and plunged the city into chaos. As a consequence, MSF has been forced to close its medical centers in the area.
The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation announced today that all 50 states, plus the District of Columbia, have passed legislation requiring that all newborns be screened for cystic fibrosis (CF) by the year 2010.
Lack Of Funds Prevents HIV-Positive People In Uganda From Receiving Antiretroviral Treatment
KPBS profiled San Diego"s "only clean syringe exchange program," a mobile van that twice weekly provides injection drug users with clean needles in exchange for used ones. The program also offers HIV and Hepatitis C tests and gives referrals to drug treatment programs. According to KPBS, "The concept behind syringe exchange is simple: people are going to shoot drugs. It"s crucial to make sure they have access to clean equipment, so they don"t spread blood-borne infections." However, the San Diego County Board of Supervisors is "adamantly opposed to the concept," and it is "illegal in San Diego for people to buy clean needles without a prescription," KPBS reports. In 2008, the privately-funded exchange program, which has the support of the mayor and the city council, collected more than 183,000 used syringes and handed out about 172,000 new ones (Goldberg, 7/7).
The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has announced that it will convene a guidance development group to formally review the recommendations relating to the diagnosis and removal of "low risk" basal cell carcinomas (BCCs) in primary care in its guidance Improving Outcomes in Cancer for people with skin tumours including melanoma (2003).
Progressive resistance strength training not only helps older adults become stronger but also makes their everyday life easier, a Cochrane Review suggests.
Giving students personalised feedback on their drinking behaviour and how it compares to social norms might help to reduce alcohol misuse, according to a Cochrane Systematic Review.
Many of the diseases that we develop as adults likely began in our mothers" wombs. This provocative idea and others-including the causes of infertility, the impact of the environment on maternal and fetal health, and new approaches to unraveling the molecular pathways that guide reproduction-will be among the topics discussed at the 42nd annual meeting of the Society for the Study of Reproduction (SSR), which runs from July 18 to 22 at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center, downtown Pittsburgh.
Following evidence of tumor shrinkage in a recent clinical trial at The Cancer Institute of New Jersey (CINJ), new research has just begun to further measure the effects of a drug commonly used for Lou Gehrig"s disease (ALS) in the treatment of melanoma. CINJ is a center of excellence of UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.
Diabetica Research Solutions, Inc. (DRSI) http://www.drsirestoreenergy.com: Diabetes is a disease of energy currently affecting 24 million people who have been diagnosed and approximately 55 million who are in a pre-diabetic condition. For so many of these people with diabetes, particularly those with type 2 diabetes, persistent fatigue is a constant complaint. According to a 2007 survey of 8,000 people with diabetes, approximately 85% of respondents reported that fatigue was their number one complaint. When asked how they dealt with their fatigue, 17% of respondents said they do nothing, 31% drink water, 23% drink coffee, 6% drink energy drinks and 23% drink sodas and diet sodas. Now, with the introduction of drsi™ Restore! Energy, there"s a quick and effective way for diabetics and pre-diabetics to experience balanced, long lasting energy and stamina to help them through their daily routines.
Severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is associated with lower cognitive function in older adults, according to research from Mount Sinai School of Medicine. Researchers compared cognitive performance in over 4,150 adults with and without COPD and found that individuals with severe COPD had significantly lower cognitive function than those without, even after controlling for confounding factors such as comorbidities.
A new study from the US suggests that travel is linked to a higher risk of developing a deep vein thrombosis (DVT), also known as a venous
GTx, Inc. (Nasdaq: GTXI), announced the initiation of a Phase I multiple ascending dose clinical trial evaluating GTx-758, an oral LH inhibitor for first line treatment of advanced prostate cancer. A Phase I single ascending dose clinical trial in 96 subjects was successfully completed in June.
Since its introduction in 1993, molecular adsorbent recirculating system (MARS) albumin dialysis has been a subject of research, with the hope of effectively treating patients with acute liver failure. The impact of MARS treatment on outcome as well as clinical and laboratory variables has been investigated widely in small non-randomized studies. However, larger studies with longer follow-up time are required to determine the true usefulness of MARS treatment in different liver failure etiologies.
Persons with higher levels of adiponectin, a protein that is produced by fat cells and that has anti-inflammatory and insulin-sensitizing properties, have an associated lower risk of type 2 diabetes, according to an analysis of previous studies, reported in the July 8 issue of JAMA.
A new score for predicting a person"s risk of heart disease performs better than the existing test and should be recommended for use in the United Kingdom by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE), say researchers in a paper published on bmj.com.
Pioneering medical device company Signostics announced it has secured clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its palm-sized personal ultrasound device, the "Signos".
ARYx Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:ARYX), a biopharmaceutical company, announced results from its Phase 2/3 clinical trial, EmbraceAC, comparing its novel anticoagulant agent tecarfarin (previously ATI-5923) with the leading oral anticoagulant warfarin. In this trial, tecarfarin demonstrated efficacy essentially the same as in earlier Phase 2 studies but did not achieve the primary endpoint of superiority over warfarin, as measured by time in therapeutic range (TTR). This was due to the virtually unprecedented performance of warfarin in this trial. Using the International Normalized Ratio (INR), which is the standard measure of anticoagulation to evaluate TTR, the patients in the trial who were administered tecarfarin stayed within the target therapeutic range 74.0% of the time treated as compared to those patients receiving warfarin who stayed within the target therapeutic range 73.2% of the time (p=0.506). The result for the warfarin group was unexpected based upon the extensive history of prior studies and published literature for the drug. Tecarfarin appeared to be well tolerated by the patients in this Phase 2/3 clinical trial.
Funxional Therapeutics Ltd (Funxional) has announced the successful completion of the first Phase I study with FX125L, an orally available small molecule which belongs to a new therapeutic class named Broad Spectrum Chemokine Inhibitors (BSCIs).
ChemoCentryx, Inc. announced that Thomas J. Schall, Ph.D., ChemoCentryx"s President and Chief Executive Officer, will give a keynote lecture at The 9th World Congress on Inflammation in Tokyo, Japan. Dr. Schall"s lecture titled, "Treating Inflammation by Inhibition of Chemokine Receptors: Practical Requirements and Efficacy of CCR9 Antagonism in Inflammatory Bowel Disease" will be given on Thursday, July 9, 2009 at 9:00 am local time.
Scientists in Japan are reporting development of a faster, less expensive version of the fabled polymerase chain reaction (PCR), a DNA test widely used in criminal investigations, disease diagnosis, biological research and other applications. The new method could lead to expanded use of PCR in medicine, the criminal justice system and elsewhere, the researchers say. Their study is scheduled for the July 15 issue of Analytical Chemistry, a semi-monthly journal.
The IFPMA was invited to attend a special session of the United Nations (UN) in Geneva on health in Africa and other least developed countries, organized by the UN Economic and Social Commission (ECOSOC). Michael D. Boyd, Acting Director General of the IFPMA, gave a briefing on the research-based pharmaceutical industry"s contribution to improving health in the developing world, speaking to an audience which included foreign ministers of UN Member States and senior UN officials.
AAMC (Association of American Medical Colleges) President and CEO Darrell G. Kirch, M.D., issued the following statement on the agreement reached by the hospital community, the Obama administration, and the Senate Finance Committee in support of health care reform:
The MS Society has appointed Sue Farrington to its newly created role of Director of Information and Education. Sue was formerly Director of Corporate Affairs at CSV.
An improved Continuing Professional Development (CPD) recording system is being launched
Thirteen people charged with "disruption of Congress" for standing and shouting pro-single-payer system slogans during a health care reform committee hearing settled their cases, The Great Falls (Mont.) Tribune reports.
"[E]xplicit indicators to measure progress in reducing heart diseases, stroke, diabetes, cancers and chronic respiratory diseases" are missing from the U.N. Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) agenda as it meets in Geneva this week "to focus on implementing the internationally agreed goals and commitments in regard to public health," and the "omission needs to be urgently addressed if the intent is to have a major impact on reducing poverty by 2015," Ala Alwan, WHO"s assistant director-general for Noncommunicable Diseases and Mental Health; George Alleyne, PAHO"s director emeritus; and Martin Silink, president of the International Diabetes Federation write in an opinion piece in the Hindu.
The World Health Organization (WHO) urged pharmaceutical companies to donate at least 10 per cent of their H1N1 pandemic swine flu vaccine
The International Diabetes Federation (IDF), the International Union Against Cancer (UICC) and the World Heart Federation (WHF) havecalled on the UN"s Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) to take immediate action to avert the fastest growing threat by non-communicable diseases (NCDs) to global health.
Noncommunicable diseases such as heart attacks, strokes, cancers, diabetes, respiratory diseases, and common injuries account for the vast majority of all global deaths, but because they are not yet included as priorities in the global development agenda, donors and international organizations have yet to pledge support to help developing countries address these leading health problems.
-- The NPHS influenza surveillance scheme, which records reports of diagnoses of flu from more than 300 GP practices across Wales, shows low levels of influenza activity in all parts of Wales. Further detail can be found on the NPHS website.
The doctor"s mouth opens, and "medicalese" pours forth: words like "pyrosis" and "myocardial infarction." The patient"s eyes glaze over. If only the doctor said "heartburn" or "heart attack," the patient could learn what caused the chest pain.
Black women who are diagnosed with breast cancer have a higher probability of dying from the disease than white women, regardless of their estrogen receptor status, according to research from the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health. Differences in breast cancer mortality may reflect racial differences in access and response to innovative breast cancer treatments, as well as other biological and non-biological factors, according to the report. In addition, the researchers found that differences in outcomes in the first few years post-diagnosis make up nearly all of the disparity. These results were published online July 7, 2009 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
Boston Medical Center (BMC) researchers have identified potential safety risks among methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) patients due to the quantity and accuracy of medical record documentation. Improved communication and coordination among substance use treatment and medical providers could mitigate and manage the potential adverse effects of methadone and interacting medications. The BMC study appears in the July issue of Journal of General Internal Medicine.
An independent external validation of QRISK® (http://www.qrisk.org) - a new score for predicting a person"s risk of heart disease - has shown that it performs better than the existing test and should be recommended for use in the United Kingdom by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE).
Treatment with the angiogenesis inhibitor bevacizumab improved hearing and alleviated other symptoms in patients with neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2). In a paper to appear in the July 23 New England Journal of Medicine, which is receiving early online release, researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) report that bevacizumab treatment successfully shrank characteristic tumors in a small group of NF2 patients, the first reported successful NF2 treatment not involving surgery or radiation.
There is no evidence that children next-born after stillbirth are clinically at risk compared to children of non-bereaved mothers, according to a study published in The Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry. However, the study did find evidence of less optimal mother-child interaction.
The Derrick L. Davis Forsyth Regional Cancer Center at Forsyth Medical Center is participating in a national trial of the experimental drug Avastin to treat glioblastoma, a fast-growing tumor of the brain or spinal cord.
The Society of Interventional Radiology Foundation recently awarded 13 grants totaling more than $191,000 to encourage the development of interventional radiology research. Grant proposals were reviewed during SIR"s 34th Annual Scientific Meeting in San Diego.
Ganglion cysts are fluid-filled swellings that tend to form on top of joints or tendons in the wrists, hands, and feet. They have the appearance of firm or spongy sacs of liquid and their insides consist of a sticky, clear, thick, jelly-like fluid. Ganglion cysts are idiopathic, which means they generally form for unknown reasons. As painless and benign (not dangerous) growths, ganglion cysts often do not require treatment and go away on their own.
Inpatients at Southampton"s teaching hospitals are to be offered advice on lifestyle and weight management as part of a radical new project. Southampton University Hospitals NHS Trust"s pharmacy team has invented an innovative plan to tackle obesity during routine risk assessments for venous thromboembolism (VTE), better known as blood clots.
Seven UQ Business School students learnt a valuable entrepreneurship lesson this semester - business isn"t just about making money, it"s about improving peoples" quality of life.
The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) announced that, following GlaxoSmithKline"s (GSK) appeal, it will reconsider the submission for Tyverb (lapatinib), a treatment for an aggressive form of advanced breast cancer (ErbB2-positive).1 GSK is pleased that NICE"s appeal panel agreed that the draft negative guidance should be reviewed, providing fresh hope for up to 2,000 women in the UK who could benefit from this effective treatment on the NHS.
The Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection is notifying consumers about a voluntary recall announced by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. The recalled Jaloma Pacifiers were sold in retail stores in New Jersey and New York from February 2008 through March 2009, for approximately $1.00. Although not sold in Connecticut stores, this recalled product may have been purchased while visiting the above noted states or may have been sent to Connecticut as a gift. The pacifiers were manufactured in Mexico and imported by Gromex Inc., of Passaic, New Jersey. Although no injuries and/or incidents have been reported, the potential for injury is high due to the pacifier mouth guard and the ventilation holes are too small and fail to meet federal safety standards, for this reason, the pacifier poses a choking hazard to young children.
Elevated insulin levels in the blood appear to raise the risk of breast cancer in postmenopausal women, according to researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University. Their findings are published in the online version of the International Journal of Cancer.
Scientists at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University have devised a laboratory test for predicting whether microbicides against HIV are safe for human use. The researchers have also discovered why several supposedly "safe" microbicides made women more susceptible to HIV infection. The study appears today in the online version of the Journal of Infectious Diseases.
Pharmaceutical firm Biogen Idec announced that the American drug watchdog the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Fast Track designation for its multiple sclerosis (MS) drug PEGylated interferon beta-1a (BIIB017).
President Obama and first lady Michelle Obama"s visit to Africa this weekend "will send a powerful message to the world about their commitment to ensuring Africa"s continued progress," Rep. Gwen Moore (D-Wis.) writes in an opinion piece in The Hill. She continues that "for Africa to make this long-forestalled progress, a renewed promise must be made to provide highly cost-effective solutions to ensure that women are healthy before, during and after pregnancy."According to Moore, "More than 500,000 women worldwide die from pregnancy each year, and millions more endure life-threatening complications." For example, in Ghana, women"s risk of pregnancy-related death is one in 45, compared with one in 4,800 in the U.S., she writes. "In some of the world"s poorest countries, including Afghanistan, the maternal death risk is as high as one in eight," Moore adds. Access to health care is a significant part of the problem, she writes, noting that "[o]nly 40% of births worldwide take place in a health facility" and that "[s]ix of the seven countries with the highest levels of maternal mortality have less than one doctor per every 10,000 people."Moore continues that she is "encouraged" that the House Appropriations Committee recently approved increased funding for family planning and maternal and child health as part of the fiscal year 2010 Foreign Operations Appropriations bill (HR 3081). "However, more remains to be done by the United States and our partners around the world if we are truly going to fulfill the promise of the Millennium Development Goals by 2015, one of which is to reduce maternal mortality by three-quarters and achieve universal access to reproductive health," she adds. Although there has been progress in fighting HIV/AIDS and working toward other Millennium Development Goals, "[w]e must recognize the appalling lack of progress that has been made in the area of maternal mortality, child mortality and family planning as major barriers to progress on all of the other goals," according to Moore."Pregnancy, childbirth and motherhood should not be a death sentence," Moore writes. She concludes, "Improving impoverished women"s chances of survival before, during and after pregnancy is an issue of rights and social justice. It is also a sound economic and social investment, given the importance of women to the well-being of their children, families and societies" (Moore, The Hill, 7/7).
A shortage of new pharmaceutical products in the pipeline-combined with new scientific tools-has created a climate of opportunity for the rare disease community, a senior Food and Drug Administration (FDA) official said at a conference hosted by the National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD).
IRIN reports that Ghanaians "are mixing high hopes with caution" in anticipation of President Obama"s arrival in the country Friday - "his first visit to sub-Saharan Africa." Obama is expected to "make a major policy statement," according to IRIN. The article looks back at some of the commitments that former Presidents Bush and Clinton previously made to Africa (7/8).
The Washington Post examines one of INOVA Juniper Program"s six clinics serving those with HIV/AIDS located "[t]wo blocks down the road" from the old Whitman-Walker clinic, which "served the Northern Virginia HIV/AIDS community for more than a decade, [and] closed this year because of financial constraints." As of late last month the new Arlington, Va., clinic served 198 people, but Karen Berube, director of the program, said she expects to have 250 clients there by the end of the year. By comparison, the Whitman-Walker center treated 678 people at its Arlington clinic, according to the Post. Services are provided on a sliding-fee scale based on income, "but the majority of patients do not pay anything. Instead, they are funded by Medicaid, Medicare or private insurance, or they receive charity care through government and private donor grants," the article states (Caputo, 7/9).
The Baltimore Sun"s blog "Picture of Health" features comments from Allison Agwu, a pediatric infectious disease specialist at Johns Hopkins Children"s Center, who discussed HIV awareness and testing among teenagers. According to the blog, Agwu said doctors and parents "need to do a better job talking frankly to teens about sex and the risk for HIV, particularly in a city like Baltimore with higher than average rates of the disease." The blog states, "There"s no easy way to combat this, Agwu admits. But engaging teens in a constant frank conversation about the disease is a start" (Brewington, 7/8).
New data presented by BD Biosciences, a segment of BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company), at the International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) 7th Annual Meeting in Barcelona, Spain, highlights two novel flow cytometry-based sorting and analysis methods for neural and embryonic stem cell research. The two data presentations further validate the viability of tools used for separating near-pure populations of stem cell-derived neurons from undifferentiated stem cells (Abstract ID 2276, Poster ID 1177) and shows improved cell recovery and survival of human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) after cell sorting (Abstract 2268, Poster ID 1170).
Attractive males release fewer sperm per mating to maximise their chances of producing offspring across a range of females, according to a new paper on the evolution of ejaculation strategies. The findings by researchers at UCL (University College London) and the University of Oxford suggest that, paradoxically, matings with attractive males may be less fertile than those with unattractive ones.
Veterinarians will be giving back to the city of Seattle during the 146th American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) Annual Convention - held from July 11-14, 2009, in Seattle, Wash. - by helping fix up two animal shelters and a horse rescue facility.
The NHS wants your views on an online personal health information service called HealthSpace.
In a May 15 letter to Sens. Evan Bayh (D-Ind.) and Dick Lugar (R-Ind.), 31 Republican Indiana state senators asked the lawmakers to oppose the confirmation of Indiana University law professor Dawn Johnsen, President Obama"s nominee to head the Office of Legal Counsel in the Justice Department, due to her support for abortion rights, the AP/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports. The state senators wrote that Johnsen"s support for abortion rights "is more than simply pro-choice" and that "she is pro-choice in an extremely radical way," citing Johnsen"s statements and writings. The letter, which was signed by all but two of the state"s Republican senators, asked Bayh and Lugar to consider what Johnsen"s nomination "could mean for the future of the country." Indiana Senate President Pro Tem David Long (R) said, "It"s a statement from a very strong pro-life caucus," adding, "It is not based on the fact she is pro-choice, it is based on the fact that she is radically so." According to Long, the letter originated with a request from Indiana Right to Life to urge Bayh and Lugar to oppose Johnsen"s confirmation.Johnsen in an e-mail said that as a nominee she would not make public comments to the media. White House spokesperson Amy Brundage said that Johnsen "will bring unquestioned integrity and a commitment to non-partisan interpretation of the law to the Office of Legal Counsel, and we"re pleased that both of Indiana"s senators have expressed support for her nomination." Lugar spokesperson Andy Fisher on Monday in an e-mail said that although the senator has said he would not oppose Johnsen"s confirmation, Senate Democrats currently do not have enough support to move forward with the confirmation process. Bayh supports Johnsen"s confirmation, according to Bayh spokesperson Eric Kleiman (Smith, AP/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 5/18).Senate Confirms Hamburg as FDA CommissionerThe Senate on Monday by voice vote confirmed the nomination of Margaret Hamburg to be FDA commissioner, CQ HealthBeat reports (CQ HealthBeat, 5/18). According to the AP/Washington Post, Hamburg"s priorities include leading the development of a swine flu vaccine and overhauling the U.S. food safety system. During her confirmation hearing, Hamburg, a bioterrorism expert, said that she wants to increase consumer confidence in the agency by increasing transparency and accountability. Previously, Hamburg served as an assistant health secretary under President Clinton (AP/Washington Post, 5/19).
Dharma Therapeutics, Inc., ("Dharma") Seattle, WA (a subsidiary of the Transcu Group Limited, a company listed on the Singapore Exchange Limited) announced that its improved active transdermal delivery technology, which administers lidocaine and epinephrine through the skin via a mild electric current, has demonstrated safety and efficacy in a Phase 2 clinical trial.
Many of us turn to the Internet to simplify our day-to-day transactions, reserving plane tickets, finding apartments and keeping in touch with old friends via cyberspace. Some of us even buy products such as prescription drugs online. This is one online transaction, says Dr. Marv Shepherd, which requires caution.
Different types of work site exercise programs have multiple benefits, including reduced neck and shoulder pain for employees who do all-around exercise and lowered heart disease and stroke risk factors for those who do strength training, reports a study in the July Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, official publication of the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM).
The "hard truth of our economic turmoil is almost at term," as hospitals are beginning to report a decrease in the number of births, about nine months after "American banks first admitted their collective crisis," author Lauren Sandler writes in Slate"s "The Big Money" column. Sandler writes that the trend is "hardly unprecedented," noting that the contraception business "was just about the only one booming" during the Great Depression. She asks, "Are market forces the great contraceptive?" Sandler continues that in the first few months of 2009, Nielsen reported a 10% increase in U.S. sales of condoms and emergency contraceptive pills. Additionally, sales of the permanent female contraceptive Essure have increased 28% over the past year, and clicks on physician profiles on Vasectomy.com have risen 40%. According to Sandler, Vasectomy.com"s chief operating officer, Maya Wank, reports that many urologists say that vasectomies are increasing because patients" salaries are down, with many men seeking vasectomies out of fear of job or health insurance loss.Sandler writes that the "tanking economy has delivered an awakening" that the "choice to have a child is probably the most serious, not to mention one of the most costly, that you"ll ever make." According to Sandler, a Gallup poll found that 12% of women say they know someone who has delayed a planned pregnancy because of the recession. The poll also found that one in five women reports that she is more concerned about unintended pregnancy than she was one year ago, and the same number reports being more "conscientious" about using birth control. Additionally, the poll found that, compared with one year ago, 13% more women who use hormonal contraception are concerned that they will be unable to afford their birth control. Since 2008, there has been an increase of 15% in the number of U.S. residents who say they had to cut back on medications due to cost.Sandler writes that it is "not surprising" that the National Network of Abortion Funds reports a fourfold increase in the number of calls from women who need assistance paying for abortion procedures. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also recently announced that teen birth rates are up after a 14-year decline. "In other words, the recession could result in a drop in birth rates for women with easy access to contraception and abortion," Sandler writes, adding that experts believe that women with "more limited access ... may see the rate climb." Sandler concludes that "it"s not unreasonable to consider what things will look like if the middle class reduces its reproduction, while men and women who are struggling to even afford condoms expand their numbers despite their personal choice" (Sandler, "The Big Money," Slate, 5/17).
Medical information of more than 35 million persons from the general European population will be studied with the goal of better guiding clinicians how to balance the risk of gastrointestinal and cardiovascular events when prescribing NSAIDs.
A study published recently on bmj.com concludes that an easy training program, based on a sequence of balancing movements, can be useful in cutting the risk of recurrent ankle sprains by 35 percent. This could reflect in huge savings in medical and lost productivity costs.
UroToday.com - Dietary micronutrients are a common component of people"s diet as they seek to prevent cancer and other diseases. Micronutrients protect against cellular oxidative damage by neutralizing oxygen free radicals. In the May 2009 issue of Cancer Prevention Research, Dr. VasundaraVenkateswaran and associates tested the effects and timing of the micronutrients vitamin E (E), selenium (S), and lycopene (L) on the development of prostate cancer (CaP) in the Lady transgenic model.
"All 22 Shriners Hospitals for Children will stay open, but some eventually might become outpatient-only surgery facilities, the system that offers free specialty pediatric care said Thursday," CNN reports. "The system, which has covered all costs of its patients" care throughout its 87-year history, eventually will accept insurance from patients who have it, members of the Shriners fraternity decided in their annual convention in San Antonio, Texas. Accepting money from insurers and finding other ways to cut costs will help Shriners retain their presence in all 22 locations, said Doug Maxwell, the new president and CEO of Shriners Hospitals."
Twenty people in California were arrested on Thursday "in a $4.6-million Medi-Cal fraud scheme that law enforcement officials allege used unlicensed individuals to provide in-home nursing care for disabled patients," The Los Angeles Times reports. "About 75 patients, many of them children with cerebral palsy or developmental disabilities, were treated at home or at school by the unlicensed individuals who stole identities to pose as licensed nurses, according to the United States Attorney"s office." Those arrested "are among 42 defendants named in a 41-count indictment," in what United States Attorney Thomas O"Brien calls "the largest single case alleging Medi-Cal fraud ever filed in the state of California" (Abdulrahim, 7/9).
Infections of wounds, pneumonia, etc. in hospitals in particular are often caused by bacteria called Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Once they reach a certain density, colonies of Pseudomonas aeruginosa produce virulence factors and can enter into a slimy state, a biofilm, which prevents antibiotics from penetrating. The process of quorum sensing, which cells use to "sense" cell density, is triggered when the concentration of certain signaling compounds generated by the bacteria reaches a threshold level. A team working with Rustem F. Ismagilov at the University of Chicago has now demonstrated that the absolute number of cells is irrelevant; only the number of bacteria in a given volume plays a role. As the researchers report in the journal Angewandte Chemie, they were even able to trigger quorum-sensing processes in single cells when these were confined in extremely small volumes.
Researchers in the US found that the destructive cellular pathways that occur following traumatic brain injury are the same as those activated in
Taller men are able to earn more money than their shorter counterparts simply because taller people are perceived to be more intelligent and powerful, this according to a study published in The Economic Record by Wiley-Blackwell.
The President of the American Chemical Society, Thomas H. Lane, Ph.D., issued the following statement on President Obama"s nomination of Francis Collins, M.D., Ph.D., to be Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH):